Restart
by Dogwolf12
Summary: After Uriah's plug is pulled, a device gives everyone the power to return to the past to prevent the war. Will they be victorious or will the past repeat itself?
1. Chapter 1- A New Time

Restart

Tris

It's time.

Uriah is being unplugged.

Marlene waits, ready to welcome Uriah, and I stand to the side.

Hana and Zeke are mouthing something- a dauntless prayer, and then they spring apart, letting him go. I focus on Uriah, and not on my killer standing off to the side.

The doctor flips some switches, and I watch the heart monitor flatline.

He's here.

"Marlene! I- I missed you!"

"I missed you too." They embrace, and I can see tears in her eyes.

"So… I'm dead…"

"Yes…"

I decide to walk- no, float, in.

"Tris? When did you get here?"  
"A few days before you. I was activating memory serum- David was trying to reset Chicago. I survived death serum, but David was there, and he… shot me."  
He doesn't answer.

A few minutes later, Mom comes up to me.

"Beatrice. I've found something that allows us all to… restart. Go back to your aptitude test, and stop the war. I found a note, too, telling us that the war was never meant to happen, and that we could stop it. I'm going."

"I will, too." I say, hugging her.

The rest come to us, and we fill them in.

"Wait, can this thing be used on the living, too?"

"Seems so." Fernando says.

We walk down to the atrium, where they all are, mourning us. Suddenly, we… just appear. It is like the universe knows that we need visibility.

They jump, startled.

"You're dead-why are you…"

Everyone turns, to see us standing there. Tobias's gaze travels to mine, and he has a hungry look in his eyes, absorbing me before another horrific nightmare plagues him. I've seen them, and my heart ached every time.

"Why are you here?"

"To offer you a choice. We found something that allows us to go back in time, to the aptitude test. We can change the future."

Fernando then goes on an extremely long rant about how the time travel seems to work- until Tori slaps him.

"No one really wants to hear that."  
They all laugh, and all say yes.

When Amar and George come in, they add their voices- two more yeses.

"Alright…"

I stare into a grey mirror.

Mom stops mid-cut.

"It worked." She breathes, and hugs me, leaving my hair half cut.

Then she resumes cutting my hair, talking as we go.

"It really worked. We have a chance to change everything." I say.

She doesn't look surprised, but I can tell she is.

We finish, and I thank her- we both know it is so much more than her simply cutting my hair.

 _This could go really well- or catastrophically wrong._

 **How do you like it?**


	2. Chapter 2- Back in Abnegation

**Disclaimer:**

 **Peter: No! You can't make me!**

 **Me: *pulls out butterknife*  
Peter:*pulls out bread knife***

 **Me: *pulls out meat knife*  
Peter: Fine. She doesn't own Divergent.**

 **Me: Thank you. That wasn't so hard now, was it?**

I walk into the kitchen, to see my father and Caleb discussing something.

"…All I'm saying, is that you should go to Erudite to spy."

"Last time I was there, I got you and Mom killed, not to mention Beatrice!"

I jump in.

"You'll know not to believe Jeanine this time."

Caleb swallows, hard.

"O-okay…"

We set off to school, walking through the cracked, dilapidated streets of Abnegation, careful not to fall into the parts where the road has worn away.

At school, the mood is the same.

I get hit by the same jumper, and the boy goes to push me over.

"Out of my- hey!"

I grab his arm.

"Abnegation are selfless, not a pushover. And I am being selfless, protecting the other Abnegation you've likely pushed around. You will NOT taunt anyone again, you hear me?"

"Y-yes…"

I release my grip, and can manage to make out the people on the Dauntless train.

Uriah is wrapping his arm around Marlene, laughing. Marlene is joking with Uriah now. It is a bit far to tell, but are they both blushing? Lynn stands to the side, looking at them both with envy.

Wait.

She said she'd loved Marlene as more than a friend… is she jealous?

I focus myself, and go to Faction History.

The classes are once again cut in half.

Caleb and I see each other again while we are going to the cafeteria.

"Nervous?" we both ask at the same time.

We can each tell that the other is- I have to hide divergence, and Caleb has to pretend to be a loyal Erudite.

We sit down at Abnegation's table. I mentally drill myself for a moment. Knife, then dog, then… end?

That was quick. I pick out Christina, who looks like she is trying to pick out me. She spots me- probably because the other abnegation all look to the table. She stifles a hello. Not just my family got transported.

Uriah. Marlene. Lynn. All of them are playing cards.

They're all here, safe, not dead.

Here I go again, I think as Susan's name is called.

"Take a seat and get comfortable. My name's Tori."

 **Dun dun dun!**

 **Will she mange to hide her divergence?**

 **Find out in…**

 **Okay, I'll stop with the TV trope.**

 **-Dogwolf12**


	3. Chapter 3- The Test

I drink the liquid.

I am once again in the school cafeteria. I freeze as Jeanine's voice tells me to choose. That evil, lying, murdering… I see the knife and cheese disappear. Now I have to see what I can do. I am now marked. I see the dog. Without thinking, I lie down. I'd rather never kill again… The dog licks my face. I breathe rapidly now. I'm going to get divergence. I see the girl, and jump on the dog. I sternly tell it, "NO!" It stops, to my surprise. The bus scene again. I know that lying may save my life. And I need to get rid of Jeanine and Eric. _Not real._ The guy looks at me.

"Well? Do you know him or not?"

He is a Dauntless, that I've seen in the pit.

"I don't."

"You could save me. YOU COULD SAVE ME!"

Not real.

"I don't know him, sir. Please stop harassing me."

He stops, then grabs me.

"Oh, but you've done this before, haven't you? It's too easy to carelessly throw away lives."

I gulp. I'm that bad in real life. Al. Will. Mom. Dad. Tori, even. All dead because of me.

I straighten up, and glare at him.

"You have no idea, what has happened. LEAVE."

To my great surprise, he sits down. I walk off.

"Tris."

"Tori, that didn't happen before."

"I know. It seems our dear friend Jeanine has already modified simulations, in this reality."

"So, the 'my name is…' thing?"

"A ruse. Cameras pick up the first bit, making sure there is no animosity, and then they stop. Don't know why, but be thankful they don't record the whole thing."

"Now, I will log your results as Dauntless. Oh, and Tris?"

I turn.

"Welcome back."

I grin.

I sit back down, shaken a bit. Caleb is white- Erudite again, I suppose. Susan is smiling serenely, as if she always knew she was Abnegation. I catch the eye of Will. He gives me a half-smile, barely noticeable, and returns to study. I catch a glimpse of the chapter title- "Throwing effective punches." I laugh silently.

Christina looks where I look, and laughs loudly, so it coincides with a debate topic. Uriah, Lynn and Marlene look over from their card game. Uriah recovers quickly, and switches some cards so that he can play, winking at me.

I have friends.

We both get home on time, Caleb talking to Susan. She nods, and I see a tear in her eyes as she walks away.

"I told her of switching. I'm going to spy on Jeanine, sabotage her as well. I couldn't believe I trusted her!"

"It's in the past- erm, future."

We walk home, and plan with our parents what we are going to do.

Dauntless, here I come.


	4. Chapter 4- Choosing Day

Choosing- Again!

The ceremony is packed to the brim with people, and I spot Al going up in the lift.

"There's something I need to do." I tell my family, and slip away.

I meet him at the top of the stairs.

"Al. Don't choose Dauntless. Choose Amity if you need to. Your parents aren't the one who has to live with the choices. You are."

He gulps. "How did you know? How do you know my name?" I don't want to reveal myself to him.

"Abnegation watch people a lot." I knew I'd never choose Candor.

He nods. "I just don't want to disappoint them."

"You will be brave and honest by choosing who you are, selfless by sparing a ranking, smart for going with who you are, and kind to yourself by giving yourself a chance."

"Okay."

I get to the Hub.

"What did you do?"

"Hopefully, I saved the first person on my list."

"I hope I can help."

"You will. Just…remember who you are, okay? Don't let her convince you of why Abnegation need to go."

"I'll try."

We head to Mom and Dad, while some Factionless bring the bowls in.

"I'll try to change things."

"And I'll try not to be the traitor I was. But if you see me with Jeanine…"

He whispers the next bit

"…I'm spying for you."

My parents nod.

"We'll go to many houses to have dinner tonight. They'll all greet us with condolences. But we'll know that you're being selfless in another faction. Where you're born makes no difference."

I know what she refers to, and so do the rest of the family.

They hug us- even though physical contact is discouraged, and slip away into the grey that is Abnegation. I feel nervous, but for a different reason.

 _Will this universe be better, or worse?_

The Choosing starts. Most people drip their blood onto their families' materials, and are welcomed back with smiles and hugs. James Tucker trips, and looking back at his family one last time, cuts his palm and becomes honest.

I wonder how easily I will transfer.

Finally, "Prior, Caleb."

He slits his palm on Erudite, giving a fleeting glance at my parents, looking resigned, and runs to his new faction.

"Prior, Beatrice."

I walk up. The knife stings for a bit, before I pool my blood over the coals, and drip it in.

I have faced worse.

I look at my parents, smiling a sad smile, before I sit down. A member finds a seat at the back, which has been reserved.

"Pedrad, Uriah."

He slits his hand over Dauntless,

He then sits next to his brother, who cheers himself hoarse.

"What? I wasn't going to go to Amity and be a drugged-up hippie!"

We laugh at this.

After a while, Lynn, Marlene, Christina and Will have gone. Finally, after spotting two Erudites arguing- which as they move down the line, I see are Edward and Myra-

"Hooper, Albert!"

He looks determined. His parents look with hope as he dangles it over Dauntless-

I shake my head, invisible.

He takes a deep breath, and moves to Amity.

They welcome him. Amity will work wonders for Al.

Myra is up next.

"Helix, Myra!"

She looks back quickly at us, then at Edward. She shakes her head, and cuts herself to go to Abnegation.

She must've dumped him, I realise. But how?

Edward chooses Dauntless again, with Peter, Molly and Drew walking to Dauntless.

Can't have everything, I suppose.

The last bowl is packed up, and I run through the hall, catching up with Christina and the others, who look just as they did before the war.

"Shame we can't keep our muscles."

"We'll build them up. And the SECOND we do, we are getting new clothes."

Christina looks thrilled.

But I want to avoid another incident.


	5. Chapter 5- The Jump

The train rounds a corner, and the Amity boy reuses to jump again. _Better factionless than dead._ I don't pity him.

I see the initiate entrance to home.

"Ready?"

"Whenever you are. Let's jump together." _Like old times,_ I silently add.

Will runs over, linking hands with Christina.

And we launch off the train. I land on my feet, and I see Rita's sister launch herself from the other car.

I sprint there, holding out my hand at the last moment as she falls.

She takes it, fingertips brushing as Christina helps me pull her up. I am reminded again of the day Marlene died. I take a breath as she lands on the gravel.

Rita looks to her sister, scared but not dead.

"Thanks!"

She hugs me around the middle, then rushes to her sister.

"Angie! I thought you were going to die then."

Angie, now recovering, walks over to me.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Tris."

"I could've died, but you saved me. Thank you, Tris."

"It was no problem. I don't like people dying."

She nods, looking to Max.

"Who will jump first?"

I push forward, ignoring Uriah looking at the hole.

"The Stiff's jumping! It's a miracle!"

My lip curls in disgust. _Peter._

"Oh, finally figure out how eyes work? It's a miracle!"

Christina chuckles.

I go for it, falling like a rock, watching as the net comes up to embrace me.

"What's your name?" Tobias greets me, but I know from the look in his eyes thqt this is merely a formality.

"Tris." I say. I am once again Dauntless.

Christina comes down, screaming.

I whisper in her ear, "You knew the net was there."

"It doesn't make it any less scary!"

Will comes down.

But the real entertainer is when Uriah comes down face first and gets net imprints on his face. He pouts playfully, as all the Dauntless laugh.

After everyone has both feet on the ground, Tobias takes us to tour Dauntless.

"Welcome back to Dauntless, Tris."

I smile as I walk towards the Chasm.


	6. Chapter 6 - Guns

Tris

I am at the rocky dormitories. Christina has taken a bed next to Will and me. I can hear them softly chatting while Peter, Molly and Drew shoot us looks. I am on his radar tonight. Instead of the dread I might have felt last time at knowing this last time I was in this situation, I feel determination and confidence. _Let him try something and see what happens._ I know my body is the same as the weak Abnegation girl last time, but I know quite a few tactics for working around that, and I won't hesitate to use them on someone as sadistic as Peter.

The lights flicker out and as Al cries I think about all of my family. Do my parents hold any doubt that Caleb is on our side this time? Is Caleb managing to keep up his façade after everything Jeanine has done? Is Mom wondering how much I know? I decide that I need to get some rest. After all, tomorrow's a brand-new day, one where we get to see a loaded gun held up to Peter's head. I chuckle as I go to sleep. Surprisingly, there are no nightmares.

The next day my group are the only ones really functioning as we make our way to breakfast. Uriah, Marlene and Lynn wave us over. The instructors sit at a different table. I know they probably don't want to be accused of favouritism, but it still stings the tiniest bit. Uriah and Marlene are chatting animatedly, making various lovestruck expressions. Lynn is miming throwing up near them, while Christina, Will and I are laughing. At least, until the two decide to make lovesick faces at each other, since it would look suspicious to make out on the second day of being here. Lynn and I share a glance before stealing some of Uriah's cake. Who even has that for breakfast? Uriah immediately pulls away from Marlene and tries to get it back. I just stuff it in my mouth triumphantly.

"Cake-stealer!"

"It's not your fault you're too busy making lovey-dovey faces at Marlene to notice."

"I notice! I have a sixth sense for when someone steals my cake!" He ignores the jibe.

"It's a pity it's not able to act quickly enough to prevent someone smashing your face into it." I tell him, as Lynn does exactly that. We high-five. I know this wouldn't be ordinary, and I am attracting stares. Lynn is never friends with transfers until they prove their worth in Dauntless. Little do they know, I've done that. I think.

Training goes okay, seeing as Peter got a gun to his head. The rest of the session doesn't go as smoothly, as I can barely force myself to pick up the gun.

 _Get a grip. Will is right here. He doesn't fault me for what happened that morning._

Even so, the gun shakes as I fire shot after shot into the outer rings.

Breathe.

I focus on Tobias' words.

Inhale.

Will is still here.

Exhale.

Guns can end evil lives as well as good.

Fire.

I look up. I did it! I smile, feeling more like a sixteen-year-old dauntless kid than a war veteran. Will and Christina offer their congratulations, as does Tobias. Tobias' is much less obvious, but I can feel it in the look he gives me. What's better? Peter hasn't even hit his target yet.

He made the same jab at me as before, so I follow up with the same insult as well;

"Hey Peter! Remember what a _target_ is?" He scowls, so I take it further, remembering all the things this transfer has done. "You know, the thing you actually need to hit. The thing you're aiming for now? That's called a _floor._ You don't hit that." He goes red in anger, clenching his fists until Tobias intervenes.

As Al is in Amity, there is no one standing in front of a target this time. And for that fact, I am grateful.


	7. Chapter 7 - Fights

My eyes have bags under them from the nightmares of the war, but we are routinely outperforming everyone in the physical stage and I narrowly avoided being beaten by Christina last fight. I give a start as I recognise the day. If this was the normal timeline, Christina would be hanging by the chasm in a few hours. This time, I won't hesitate to pull her up and maybe even give Eric a little _nudge_ if it comes to it. The parents in the other timeline probably wouldn't approve, but part of Abnegation is making sacrifices. If I pushed Eric off the Chasm, I'd be being selfless.

While I am rationalising this, Tobias comes into the training room. He mouths something at me: 'Chasm, at six.' I nod and he writes the fights on the board, smirking when he slates Christina with Molly. I think I know why – we both know Christina could beat Molly with her hands tied. Probably with her feet tied as well.

Christina walks up to the ring, looking determined. Tobias signals the start, where Christina uses Molly's speed against her, weaving in, landing punches on her lower body – she guards too high – and darting out again. By a minute in you could see Molly tiring from swinging at nothing and the sheen of sweat on Christina's brow tells me it will be over soon. With a well-balanced punch to Molly's temple – she started to guard too low- Molly is out. Tobias circles Christina's name and I rush to embrace her.

I am up against Will. After careful moves, we rush into the fight and we are in a blur of punches and kicks until I manage to get a kick in to send him toppling. After a minute he comes to again and I help him up, where we walk off together to watch the other fights.

I go to meet Tobias where we finally have a chance to talk once again without it being in view of anyone else. We talk about training and the war for a while before we share a small kiss. It isn't anything big, but the gesture sets my insides on fire. He pulls one more thing out of his pocket. "It's a walkie-talkie, Caleb said. He'll give us updates on his spying." I nod and kiss him once more before making my way up the stone stairs.

The next morning, I wake up to find that I can't get my legs into my pants, as thick bulges of muscle stop them. _Oh, no._ I'd anticipated this, but I'd figured I'd have a few days before that point. I guessed wrong.

I had been training as soon as I got to Dauntless to build my muscles, my accuracy, my skill. And now it's paid off.

Bunching my towel around me tightly, I run into the dorms. Molly, Peter and Drew wait for me there. It is just my luck that this happened on the only other day they were around when no one else was in the dorm. They jeered at me for being a Stiff that day, but it was their usual taunting; I could handle it.

'Hey! There's the Stiff! I think we could see whether she's hiding something!'

His goons dash towards me, but I have the advantage, until Peter rushes at me from the opposite end. I feel air on me as I go bright red.

'Look! The stiff's gone red! I thought you'd go gray!'

'Get some insulting insults.' I growl, still red-faced.

'Why, when I'm having so much _fun_?'

I pull on a dress as I glare, while his goons laugh.

 **I've started to keep a chapter in reserve so I won't have 3 months without posting.**


	8. Chapter 8 - Caleb's Eavesdropping

Restart – Caleb

 **Caleb**

From the intelligence I can gather, everything seems to be going the same way as before. Currently, I am hiding in one of Erudite's efficient storage rooms, where everything stored can stack near-flawlessly on each other. I have piled boxes haphazardly to make a sort of staircase to a vent. Bea-Tris should be having a period of free time now. I am about to press the button to talk to her when I hear voices. I scramble clumsily up the boxes and pull the vent cover back, replacing it once I am in the large air vent. I try to calm myself as they meander into the storage room. _Eric and Jeanine!_

I hoped never to see those two together again in my lifetime. They start to talk.

'It's suspicious how the boxes are so unorganised.' States Jeanine, looking around with eyes narrowed.

'Probably Ker again.' Remarks Eric. 'She tends to rush the job.'

Jeanine nodded. 'That would be the logical explanation, unless you let the plan slip to anyone else. Did you have a _fling_ with a _dauntless chick_ and ended up blabbing? You should remember where your loyalties lie, Eric.'

'I have never forgotten why I joined Dauntless, Jeanine. I have never so much as become friends with a single one of those reckless, illogical _thrill seekers_! And don't even get me started on the two _Stiffs_ that joined!' I immediately start to try and defend B-Tris but then realise where I am.

'I never asked about the Stiffs. Anyway, did Max receive the last serum shipment today?'

'Yes, at the entrance by Dauntless' waste disposal.'

'The code is on your computer?'

'Yes.'

'We attack on the morning after the initiation day. Don't forget your role.'

'I won't, Jeanine.'

She strides out, Eric following, while I am left in an air vent, clutching a walkie-talkie. I push the button to talk to Bea-Tris.

 **Short but sweet!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Another Obstacle

Tris

I hear a voice coming from my pocket. I take out the walkie-talkie. "…Tris? Come in!"

"Hi, Caleb."

"Bea-Tris! I've found out what they're doing, and it's the same as before. Did you happen to know the password for access to the serum's source code?"

"It was open when we reversed it. We didn't even know it needed a password!"

He swears with words I'm sure even the least strict Dauntless mother would've made him wash his mouth out with soap for, and he responds, after a time,

"It's not any of the Erudite standard locks or what she used for the testing labs. I didn't think it would be those, but it couldn't hurt to try."

"It couldn't. By the way," I say, grinning in the privacy of a dauntless bathroom, "Does Mom know you're using such profanity?"

"Hey, it's not my fault Eric swears like…" He trails off as he realises which faction I'm in.

"A dauntless? Hey, I've heard quite a few of those words around here, so the phrase isn't too far off."

He laughs.

"Bye, Caleb."

"Bye, Tris."

I'm left with silence in the air. A password. Just what I needed.

I am in the training room, watching Tobias put up the fights. I hope I am paired with Molly again, though I might not kick her… too many times. He turns the board around. I am with Peter. _All the worse for him, all the better for me._ I go in the ring.

"God, you're pale, Stiff. Was that a birthmark I saw on your left butt cheek?"

He leaves himself unguarded, confident that he will win.

"What, you're not taking the shot? I'd figure I'd give you a chance."

He taunts me a bit more, then relaxes. I punch him in the gut as he is laughing. He drops to the ground. I see him clutching his stomach but trying to get up. Without hesitation, I kick him in the groin. He isn't trying now. I punch his face a few times, leaving it bloody, his nose broken, then I kick his temple.

After I realise that I have taken all Abnegation morals and thrown them to the wind, I run away.

Christina finally finds me.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"At least it wasn't as bad as last time."

"True, but would they be proud of me?"

"Your parents'd understand. Besides, maybe Peter'll finally shut up about how great he is at fighting!"

I laugh. "Beaten by a _stiff?_ " I say sarcastically. "He wouldn't dare show his face!"

Christina laughs too, and for a moment, everything is right in the world.

Until I remember something.

"Christina, Caleb called in. He said something about a password for the sim code."

"A code? It would be a bit of a joke if Jeanine, leader of the smart faction, didn't think to use a password. And Caleb's tried all the passwords she used last time?"

"Those he had access to."

"Then we know what we're doing this weekend!"

"Shooting apples off each other's heads?"

"Well, yeah. That too."


	10. Chapter 10 - To Catch a Peter

It is after the fights. I had been training late into the night to beat Edward, as I knew that I could be prepared for Peter's revenge, but he wouldn't necessarily be. I know it happens tonight, so I need to sleep with one eye open. Christina and Will are doing the same, albeit in shifts, so that they can help, if necessary.

It's quiet. The clock reads 01:59 as I try not to fully drift off. Christina will be rousing Will gently by now.

Then I hear it.

There are soft footsteps coming towards my bed and I tense. Peter approaches, a butter knife glinting in his hand. I roll out of the way as he thrusts it down into what he thinks is my eye. As I stand, I taunt him. "Too afraid to face me when it's day?"

"Shut up, stiff. We'll see how good you are now that you've got one eye."

I sprint to the light switch, flicking it on. Moans of "Whassat?" and "Hey!" come from all corners as light falls on a butter knife wedged in a mattress and Christina and Will pinning Peter down.

"I knew you were petty enough to do something like this, Peter. Not to mention _cowardly_ enough. We kept a watch. You've been caught red-handed."

"Oh yeah, Stiff? Who're you going to complain to? No – one with any authority cares."

"But we do." The light falls on the determined face of Edward. "I was above you in ranking. For all I know, it could've been me stabbed." A chill goes down my spine. He doesn't know just how right he was.

"Get up, you cowardly scum!" Molly and Drew are trying to wrestle him, but to no avail. I step in to help as both fall to the floor.

"Nice."

"I'm not ranked above these animals for nothing." He may have almost no morals, but that;s still a shade better than Peter, who has no moral code, unless you count his system of 'owing' people.

"What's all this commotion?" Tobias stands outside the door, with Zeke by his side. Their eyes focus on the butter knife still firmly lodged in my mattress and they guess instantly. "Judging from the footage Zeke had in the control room and the state you are in right now, Peter – don't give me that innocent look, you were caught on camera – pulled a cowardly attempt to better himself in ranking, which backfired. Am I right?"

"Yes." Everyone but Peter and his friends – all four of us – say.

"Well, looking at the Dauntless Code – which never gets used but still exists – there is a rule that says that anyone who has solid proof that an underhanded attempt to maim has occurred can put it forward. The leaders must, upon acknowledging this proof, kick said person out of Dauntless." Zeke looks at him. "You spent all night researching laws to get this pansycake out after the numerous incidences, didn't you?"

Tobias rolls his eyes at him and Zeke smirks.

"The fact stands. Come with me, Peter."

He is lead out, scowling.

"Hey, thank the lucky stars there was a convenient piece of legal work in there!" Christina exclaims.

"Yeah, I thought they'd have revoked that one." Will adds.

"That's enough drama for a night – well, morning."

With that, I turn the lights off, seeing the cowed faces of Drew and Molly.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Fence

Restart – The Fence

The train speeds by as Tobias leans against a corner. A warm feeling blossoms in the pit of my stomach as he smiles at me, a look reminding me that he is mine and I am his. Christina notes the look and gives me a knowing look in response; it still startles me now how we can have a conversation with looks alone.

"So, what do you think is out there?" Will asks, to keep up appearances.

"Monsters!" Christina responds, waggling her fingers. Her tone is a shade more grim than last time around; we have seen the people there, and some of them definitely do fall under the 'monster' category. The train moves on, and I zone out.

When we arrive at the fence, I instinctively tense as I look through the reinforced mesh at the reddish, raw desert beyond. We are distracted by the arrival of the truck again; this time as its doors open I see Al as well, with the girl in the back, laughing as he eats an apple. I inwardly smile a bit. He is not a betrayer in this life. He has not committed suicide. I turn away, even as Robert calls my name. "Beatrice!" I instantly tense again. This conversation could cause Eric to suspect me, given enough friendliness.

"It's _Tris_ now. How are you doing?"

"I'm happy."

"Good to hear. "

"The question is, are _you_?"

"I'm happy here. I've made some good friends and I have a purpose. I'll see you around, Robert."

"See you too."

I turn away to see Tobias.

"Normally, I'd say that was a bad idea, but should Eric be listening in, he'd hear a member who was distancing herself emotionally, but still extoling the virtues of Dauntless. Just please don't make a habit of it, okay?"

"I didn't want to cause trouble." He hears the double meaning in my voice and nods; I am not just avoiding trouble for Dauntless and my rank, but for the plan. Soon, but too late for me, we are on a high-speed train back to Dauntless.

The walls of the cavern drip as we head to the control room, where Zeke whips out the sim file on a hard drive, which Caleb sent to us. After much research, he still hasn't found the password.

We've decided that the only thing to do is guess. Everyone who was friends in the last war is here, watching and waiting. Zeke inserts the drive, then runs the text editor to delete the code. A prompt comes up. "Password protected file, please enter the password to delete."

"JeanM?" Zeke types it in to the console. A red error box comes up. Zeke restarts the program.

"215?" That was her reputed IQ. Again, the error box comes up.

"Labs215?" Error. But this time something worse has popped up. "File secured, will not open unless overridden by retinal scan."

Everyone goes nuts. You can hear the muffled profanity, extensive as it is, from every mouth in the room.


	12. Chapter 12 - Face your Fears

Restart – Simulations

The row of plastic chairs is still just as menacing as before. Those who did not do this before whisper nervously about what is behind the door. Every so often, the door opens to reveal Tobias, who calls out the name of another trembling initiate. As I am faced with the same cold steel of the door, I can't help but wonder whether my fears will have changed. Will I still have six fears? I don't know. The lights glare down on us as we wait, silently contemplating our next trial, fidgeting in our already-uncomfortable seats.

The entryway is open again. "Tris Prior."

I shuffle into the restrictive cavern of the simulation room. Tobias holds a needle which goes into my neck and then the room is gone.

I awake in another space. This one has a blinding blankness to it, with a dental-style chair and a myriad of different scanners. _No._ But I am standing near the chair, not in it. _Odd._ But that's when I realise. It isn't real. _It isn't real, it isn't real! They can't see this!_ The door beside me opens, and out of the corner of my eye I see a splash of blue as the simulation fades.

I sit bolt-upright in the other chair. Tobias is staring wide-eyed at my time as he flicks off a camera. "Thirty seconds, Tris. _Thirty seconds!_ "

"I knew as soon as I figured out I wasn't in a simulation that they couldn't see this. It would raise too many unwanted questions."

"You can go out of the back door, if you like."

"Thanks, Tobias."

"No problem. You know, I've missed you."

"So have I."

I push the door to and hurry out, the rocky corridors and softly glowing lamps no longer seeming ominous.

 **I'm sorry. I know I've been so slow in getting chapters out to you guys and I apologize. I'm frankly losing motivation in Divergent. But don't worry, I will see this story to completion, although the updates may be slow. And while a dislocated knee is less than pleasant, it has given me time at the waiting rooms to write!**

 **-Dogwolf12**


	13. Chapter 13 - Stage Three

Restart – Fears

Over the course of the next days, I discover all of my new fears. The first one still is losing control, and I still hold the fear of killing friends or family, but I no longer fear drowning or burning. I know there are far worse ways to die. I fear the reset of Chicago, too. However, intimacy is not on my list of fears anymore, but kidnapping, although it didn't happen in the last war, is very possible I've also got the fear of being experimented on. We have practiced using Lauren's fear landscape.. Now is the time to face mine.

Marlene is currently up on the screen, moving through fears with an elegant grace. I hear one of the Dauntless-born remark to Edward, "If I didn't know better, I'd say she'd done this before." Immediately, all my friends perk up, and I can see Uriah clearly fighting the urge to laugh.

It is in half the time as last timethat I am called in, and I walk in smoothly. Now I can act 'as if' I am Divergent and clear the trials. Another needle goes into my neck, and I barely wince. The lights dim as I sit in the chair and close my eyes...

The lights come up in a field. I am standing on the peaty soil, watching the grass billow. Then I see nothing. Hands come from nowhere, dragging me across the field. I force myself not to kick as I envision myself watching the scene instead of being kidnapped. And suddenly, I am. The kidnappers look around in confusion as a gun appears in my hand and I shoot. The sky suddenly darkens as the buildings lining the edge of the meadow recede into a chain-link fence. The bone-dry air caresses me as I look up to the sky to see a black speck. This time, I don't defend myself. I don't need to. As the talons tear into me, I know I will get out of here. A crow pushes me back off an edge that wasn't there before, and I drop into a control room, with no buttons in sight. There is a familiar-looking gas starting to creep throught the fence. I look again, and a button, created by the panic, sits there. I slam my hand onto it and the gas recedes, until a vent opens by my feet and the memory serum gas enters the room. However, I can still think, and all of my memories are intact. However, I am not in the control room anymore. I am strapped into a chair, not unlike the one I started the simulation in. I see a hint of blue out of the corner of my eye and I react. The bonds snap as I race for the door, keeping my eyes off of Jeanine. The door opens into a square room, where I am confronted with a table, a gun, and all of my friends and family.

"Shoot." Jeanine's voice echoes around me. "You have ten seconds to, or you face the consequences."

"Nine, eight…."

"It's alright." Will's pleading voice comes to me. And I make my decision. Holding the gun up to the speaker, I shoot. The sound reverberates all around the room as I lower the gun. Immediately, the scene around me twists like clay.

"Conratulations, Tris. Please go and sit with the others. Tobias gives me a small smile as I leave, and I blush.

I had expected to feel like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders, but I was wrong. As the last initiate is called out, I know that I will only feel less than nervous when we have stopped the coming war.


	14. Chapter 14 - The Rankings

The feast is packed with Dauntless in best dress – which to them means every single tattoo and piercing on display, even if they are usually hidden under clothes. I go and sit with my friends, easily slipping into conversation with them. Tobias has to stay near the rankings board, while Zeke and Shauna keep him company. Eric is at Max's side, leering at the initiates as most shuffle nervously. After Max has given his speech, which was verbatim what it was last time, he toggles the rankings.

I've come first.

I know I came first last time, but I'm still shocked. I would've thought that Uriah or Christina or Lynn would've come first.

"Stop gawking, Tris! You look like a fish!"

I snap out of it and look again at the rankings.

Tris

Uriah

Lynn

Marlene

Edward

Christina

Will

Jack

Riley

Audrey

I rush over to Tobias, just like last time, and kiss him like I've wanted to since we arrived back. A few people wolf-whistle and my friends make a big show of being shocked. We are dragged to a corner, presumably for some 'girl time'.

An hour after the feast has ended, we discuss what to do with Eric, who decided to station Dauntless by the doors to chip everybody. We weren't able to avoid them.

"How do you take these out?"

"We can't for these ones. These are the prototypes for that one that needs no disc, right?"

Christina goes paler than when we exited. "But how will we stop them?"

"We have to make a plan." It is Lynn's voice.

"Okay. So the Divergent in the group focus on taking the leaders out. The rest of you, get yourselves as far as you can from any exits from Dauntless. Tris, control room."

"Control room? I know you want to keep me safe. But I am Dauntless. I will not stand by and watch innocents get hurt. Besides, I don't know how to shut the sim down once it's running, and I doubt Jeanine'd have it be turned off by deleting the Control Room code. She's the leader of the _smart_ faction!"

"You're going to the control room. You promised me that you wouldn't go on another mission like the Weapons Lab!"

That was a low blow.

"ABNEGATION IS NOT THE WEAPONS LAB!"

"Well, it seems like it is!"

Christina steps in between us. "Calm down!"

We stop and look away from each other, only to find the rest of our group wincing and covering their ears.

"Sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"Right. So I guess I'll take control room."

"Sure. And you'll grab a gun from the table?"

"Okay, why?"

"Remember that guard?"

"Oh. Well, I'll disable that guy unless he was a defector."

With that, we head to separate areas of the compound.


	15. Chapter 15 - Attack on Abnegation

Restart – Abnegation

The lights flicker on. Beside me, an unknown initiate is tying their shoelace. They turn away from me, to go to a long table, one I recognise from last night's banquet, which is stocked with guns. I feel my heart leaping into my throat as I stand, movements robotic, to make my way to the door. I grab a handgun, hating myself for being so familiar with it. The moon works its way down the sky as I board the train, being helped up by an unknown face. _How many will be murderers when they wake up?_ The train speeds off through the night, and I recognise Uriah, two rows back. He looks haggard, staring at Marlene with a look of horror. The train slows, and I jump off it, seeing in the cold light of dawn the Abnegation homes.

The Dauntless work with speed, but then Plan B activates and hidden speakers, planted by Caleb, activate. The code meant that the Dauntless were triggered by noises, allowing us to exploit the situation. Eric, Max and Jeanine stand there, faces morphing from looks of delight to looks of fury. Jeanine is ranting at the other two, and I nod to Uriah.

Breathe.

Aim.

Fire.

Uriah takes out Eric, while I take Max. Jeanine gets the next shot, the two bullets finding their mark.

The Dauntless, as one, swing around.

A bullet is fired, the small chip of lead moving as if through water, until I feel a fire grow from my stomach. I look down to see a bullet wound. Behind me, Christina wakes up. I feel her hand go to her gun, and I can see, as if I am watching from outside my body, her eyes widen as she takes in the sight of me and feels her warm gun.

Everything is swimming in and out of focus.

"No time for guilt! We need to get her to a hospital!" Was it Uriah speaking?

"But the closest is Erudite!"

"There'll still be some good doctors. Didn't Prior say he was a med student?"

I feel myself being lifted as fire overtakes my vision.

Caleb

Today we are shadowing Doctor Collins. Erudite initiation has a formal stage, where our IQ and knowledge are tested, then we pick our jobs and are assigned to a class. Before, I wanted to be a scientist, but last time ruined that dream. Now I want to be a doctor. The hours are long, but I finally feel like I'm doing some good in the world. I hope my 'radio' plan worked. A harried-looking orderly startles me out of my thoughts. "We have a bullet removal from Abnegation." My heart drops. _Who?o_

"Alright." He turns to us. "Looks like you get to watch."

We file into the viewing gallery and I freeze.

"Prior! You cannot be squeamish if you are to be a doctor!"

"Sorry, sir. It's just… that's my sister."

He turns to me. "Well, look out for her."

He exits the viewing gallery to go to the OR, where he gets to work. The others look on in fascination, while I can't help but think, 'What went wrong?'

Tris

The darkness the fire had left me in recedes, to see a white bed. I try to sit up, but receive a jolt of pain for my efforts. A plain bedside table is covered in cards and flowers, and I feel a warm pressure in my hand. I look to see Tobias and Christina conferring.

Tobias stops dead. "Tris!"

"Is it over?"

"It is."

"Tris, I'm so sorry! I never meant to fire the gun, I never meant to…"

"Christina, you were under a computer simulation. There is nothing you could have possibly done to stop yourself."

"I told you, you should've stayed behind!"

"But then where would we be? You probably would've been killed, because I didn't know how to stop the sim!"

After a while, we lapse into peaceful conversation, everyone else joining us thirty minutes later, despite the orderly's protests. Lynn can really be intimidating sometimes.


	16. Chapter 16 - Five Years Later

Restart – Epilogue

After I had recovered enough, we all went to deal with David. With the credibility we got from preventing a war, we got past the fence guard, went through the Bureau, and killed him. Afterwards, we decided that it was better if we wiped the Bureau's memories. Now it has been five years, and life is peaceful.

The factions remained, of course, although they were reformed back to their original manifestoes. A special team of auditors work once a year, the day before the Aptitude tests, to make sure that they stick to them. The research the Bureau did came out, and now Divergents are accepted as much as people with conclusive aptitude tests. The factions are fuller than ever, with refugees from the Fringe flooding in, either to our Chicago, or the newly-built and reclaimed sector of the city that houses those who want to live without factions, called New Chicago. Tobias took over as leader after the first audit came up with a certain Marcus Eaton who'd abused his family. Even now, however, Tobias still gets whispers and stares, however his famous glares soon shut them up. I took his spot as initiate trainer, although I work with Tori, too.

Christina followed her passion, becoming a fashion designer and stylist. Even in New Chicago and the remains of the Bureau, her clothes are _the_ thing to wear. Will used his knowledge of mechanics to come up with new weaponry and devices for patrols, but also decided to be on the Audit team. Marlene decided to work as an ambassador to the other factions. I've heard many tales of times when they were surprised to see her and not a standoffish guy with a face tattoo. Though sometimes, she shows them why she placed so high in initiation. Uriah decided to become a leader, too, and I've heard that he is usually the one to crack some joke to defuse tensions. Lynn decided to start a paintball business, taking members to play matches any time they wanted. It grew so popular that they built an arena where the environment could easily be changed. The initiates' paintball session is still considered special, though, and members still vie to be part of it. She's planning on expanding it to the zipline, too. I'd heard that Caleb had become a full doctor a year ago,

The audit team, a leader and a regular member from each faction, decided to look at Chicago customs, and they kept Visiting Day, but also allowed each faction to visit each other at any time, as long as they noted who they were visiting on each visit, on kiosks at every faction exit. They also built more common spaces. I remember, one day, going through the Hart Square playground, and seeing a group of kids from four different factions playing.

" _You're the piggy! Oink, oink!"_

" _They aren't really the piggy, Rex!_

" _He knows, Brian!"_

" _Can we all just play?"_

" _Sounds good to us!"_

 _There was a group of Abnegation, hanging back while the others played._

" _Hey! Sarah!"_

 _A grey-clad girl looked over._

" _Come join us!"_

" _I can't. It's selfish to play."_

" _Aw, come on! This game needs more people to play!"_

" _Well, if you put it that way…" Sarah replied, a small smile coming onto her face as she asked her mom if she could. Getting a nod, a small stream of Abnegation children who were being watched by the member while the others did community service went to join different games or help push a few younger kids on the swings._

But anyway, it's enough musing. I look towards the newest batch of initiates who are debating about where to put the flag. "No, they'll see that!"

"Come on, Five, pleeeeassseee tell us where you put the flag when you won!"

"The aim of the game is to work as a team to decide, not ask your instructor." I reply, as they pout. Eventually, they hide it under the carousel, and an initiate climbs a tree to scout. One flag found and a sneak attack later, my team are waving a bright yellow flag, victorious. "Pay up, Four." I yell across the clearing.

He rolls his eyes as Uriah laughs himself silly. That is, until a paintball hits him in the mouth.

 **Finally! It's done!**

 **First of all, I want to apologise for the slow updates. I lost motivation for the Divergent trilogy overall. I did promise that I'd finish the story, and here we are. Second of all, thank you for reading this cringy fanfiction! Thirdly, here's some Q and A:**

 **Q: What happened with the characters' pairings? Are there any kids?**

 **A: Though most are still girlfriend and boyfriend, Tris and Four are planning a wedding. And there are no kids as of yet.**

 **Q: Will there be sequels? Rewrites?**

 **A: Maybe a rewrite if my motivation comes back. And there won't be any sequels, I'm afraid.**

 **Q: Any other Divergent stories coming?**

 **A: No.**

 **Q: So, everyone survived?**

 **A: Yes! I'm too much of a softie to let them die**

 **Q: Why didn't you make Caleb a traitor/ make Peter good / make Christina evil etc.?**

 **A: This is my story, and I see the characters as what they are. If you don't like it, there are many word processing apps that you can write your own fanfiction with.**

 **Thanks again for reading my story, and be brave!**


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